15 Most Notorious Premier League Villains

We have seen some superbly talented players in the Premier League, but not all of them will be remembered for the favorable things they did.

Some well-known players will be remembered for their nasty sides. These actions have often led to red cards, and in some cases lengthy bans. So here is a slideshow with some of the most notorious Premier League players.

Roy Keane

No one can doubt that Roy Keane  was a fantastic captain and player for both Manchester United and the Republic of Ireland. However, he did have a dark side. Keane delivered his fair share of nasty tackles, and was no stranger to being sent off.

He also made his fair share of outspoken comments criticizing Manchester United and Ireland. Keane may go down as one of the finest midfielders of the Premier League era, but he was also somewhat notorious. 

Paolo Di Canio

Paolo Di Canio lit up the Premier League during spells in the Premier League with West Ham, Charlton Athletic, and Sheffield Wednesday.

However, it is perhaps not the goals that Di Canio is best remembered for. The Italian famously pushed referee Paul Alcock over while playing for Sheffield Wednesday in a game against Arsenal.

Later, Di Canio was banned for 11 matches and fined £10,000 for his actions. 

Vinnie Jones

These days Vinnie Jones has a career as a Hollywood movie star. However, once upon a time he was a Premier League footballer with Wimbledon FC.

In his movies, Jones often plays a hard man. This was a role that he had plenty of practice in during his time as a footballer. Vinnie Jones had his share of yellow and red cards and goes down as one of the hardest men in football over recent years.

Ben Thatcher

Ben Thatcher had spells with various clubs in the Premier League. However, his time in the top flight will be best remembered by many because of a sickening act of violence.

Thatcher was playing for Manchester City and elbowed Pedro Mendes in the head. His actions led to a eight-match ban, and at the time this was seen as lenient. Many people wanted Thatcher banned for life.  

Paul Merson

Paul Merson had a successful career for many years in the Premier League. However, his career has been blighted with various off-the-field problems.

Merson struggled throughout his career with addictions to alcohol and drugs. Later in his career he managed to stay away from alcohol and drugs, with the help of periods in rehab. But a gambling problem then caused issues.

Paul Gascoigne

Paul Gascoigne, known as Gazza, is certainly one of the best players England has ever had. However, Gazza is as well-known for his problems away from the football field.

Persistent drinking throughout his career landed him in trouble, causing him to be arrested frequently. Gazza has also admitted to beating his ex wife on a regular basis.   

Duncan Ferguson

Duncan Ferguson was renowned for being a hard man during his time in the Premier League. He is probably best known for his time at Everton.

Ferguson was clearly a very important player for Everton. However, he is a player best remembered for his violent out-bursts on the pitch. The Scottish striker was no stranger to getting sent off. Ferguson once landed a powerful headbutt.

He also punched Paul Scharner, which the defender called "a great punch."

Patrick Vieira

Patrick Vieira has proved to be a quality Premier League central midfielder over the years. However, the Frenchman has a dark side.

There has been times during Arsene Wenger's time at Arsenal where discipline has been a problem. During this time Vieira was repeatedly sent off.  

Tony Adams

Tony Adams was a superb defender for Arsenal and England. However, most people are also well aware of his much publicized issues with alcohol abuse.

Adams is a reformed character and opened a clinic towards the end of his playing days to help fellow footballers struggling with addiction.

Lee Bowyer

Lee Bowyer has made a career as a tough tackling central midfielder. However, he is another player that is better known by many for his actions off the pitch.

Bowyer was along with teammate Jonathan Woodgate accused of assault and grievous bodily harm. Both players escaped without jail time. 

Joey Barton

Midfielder Joey Barton has always managed to be a controversial character. He is frequently in the news with problems and has often been sent off.

When a Newcastle player he appeared in court over a training ground assault charge. He also enjoys using Twitter to make often outspoken views on the game.   

Marlon King

Marlon King has had several spells in the Premier League with various clubs. However, he is better known for incidents that have occurred off-the-field.

In 2009, King was jailed for 18 months for assault, after breaking the nose of a woman in a nightclub. 

Eric Cantona

Eric Cantona is a well-know forward to fans of the Premier League. He will be best remembered for his time at Manchester United.

However, there is one incident that the football world remembers most about Eric Cantona. That is, of course, the now infamous karate kick he performed on a Crystal Palace fan that had been taunting him throughout a game between the sides in 1995.

Robbie Fowler

Robbie Fowler was a consistent goal-scorer for Liverpool in the Premier League. However, he also had his fair share of problems.

At one point Robbie Fowler and some of his Liverpool teammates were nicknamed the spice boys. This was due to his playboy lifestyle and it was perceived that he was underachieving. There were also constant suggestions that he had a drug problem. Fowler has always denied these accusations.  

Mario Balotelli

Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli is clearly a talented player, but in a realatively short time playing in the Premier League, he has already had his fair share of trouble.

Within a couple of weeks of arriving in England, it was clear what was to come from the Italian. The striker celebrated the move by crashing his Audi R8.  

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